HULL WOMAN PROSECUTED BY COURT FOR ABANDONING CAR IN HESSLE

A woman from Hull has been fined by a court for abandoning a car in Hessle. Ria Smith of Ashby Road, left a 2015 Audi A3 in Redcliff Road in January this year which was not insured.

Smith was charged with abandoning a vehicle and the case was heard at Beverley Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 18th July.

Smith was found guilty in her absence and was fined £220 and ordered to pay costs of £431.06 and a victim surcharge of £88, a total of £739.06.

The court heard the Audi A3 parked on Redcliffe Road was reported to East Riding of Yorkshire Council as a possible abandoned vehicle, and an officer visited the car on 31st January this year.

The car was found to have no insurance and the interior upholstery was mouldy, although it was taxed. Investigations by the council’s streetscene enforcement team discovered Smith was the registered keeper of the car.

Officers contacted Smith and gave her the opportunity to remove the car. Smith initially responded and said she would move it, but despite numerous further attempts to contact her in February and March, she failed to move the car or respond to officers.

The car was then removed by the council. Smith was informed but made no attempt to recover her vehicle, and therefore it was destroyed at the council’s expense.

The council sent Smith a £200 fixed penalty for the offence, but no response was received, so the matter was taken to court.

Abandoning a vehicle is a criminal offence. They can be a nuisance where they are parked, the condition they are in, and whether there are any mechanical defects or unsafe elements.

Carl Skelton, director of streetscene services at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “Abandoned cars can cause a real nuisance for residents and become a safety hazard, so thank you to members of the public for reporting them to us.

“We can usually resolve the situation with the owners and the vehicles get removed, but in cases like this we have to step in.”

The council deals with vehicles which may be abandoned on both public and private property. Officers investigate and always contact the registered owners to establish whether vehicles are abandoned.

As a result of investigations, most vehicles are removed by owners, only a few have to be removed by the council.

Owners can be issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice for the offence.